


(Not So) Sweet Home Velaris

by 8emmy



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2020-07-09 17:00:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19891252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/8emmy/pseuds/8emmy
Summary: The Illyrian Valley was vast and heavily wooded. The mountains that surrounded the valley were known for being the largest in the country. Millions of nature enthusiasts and outdoor lovers visit the national parks and mountain resorts yet no one knew that there was a small town nestled in the centre. Nesta’s rental car passes the welcome sign of her hometown, Velaris population 1,035. Nesta felt her nerves running high. She hasn’t been here since she was twenty-three leaving for law school. Nesta’s hands tighten on the steering wheel.She only wanted a clean slate. Tomas needed a clean slate.(Sweet Home Alabama AU)





	1. Into the Valley

**Author's Note:**

> Sweet Home Alabama AU
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Song choice: Everything Apart - Foxwarren

The Illyrian Valley was vast and heavily wooded. The mountains that surrounded the valley were known for being the largest in the country. Millions of nature enthusiasts and outdoor lovers visit the national parks and mountain resorts yet no one knew that there was a small town nestled in the center. Nesta’s rental car passes the welcome sign of her hometown, Velaris population 1,035. Nesta felt her nerves running high. She hasn’t been here since she was twenty-three leaving for law school. Nesta’s hands tighten on the steering wheel. 

She knew that if she pulled over and called Mr. Suriel and explained the seriousness of getting the paperwork finalized that he, being a professional, would get it done. But she also couldn’t risk another setback. It was already two years of back and forth frustration, and she now had a deadline that was coming too close to the end. 

If that good for nothing two brain celled bastard actually signed the papers like he should have done two years ago… Even the thought of going through this mess for two years gave her a stress headache. It should have been easy, Mr. Suriel was the one giving the papers. He was basically a family friend. He knew Cassian and Nesta since they were toddlers. It was supposed to be simple. She wasn’t trying to get money out of him as if he had any or property. His house from her suppressed memory was a glorified trailer in the woods near Starfall lake with outdated appliances and doors that were falling off their rusted hinges. It was a bachelor shack. 

She only wanted a clean slate. Tomas needed a clean slate.

She glanced quickly at her diamond engagement ring. It was a decently sized diamond large enough to stand out but not so large that she looked like she had an unnecessary boulder taped to her finger. Tomas still didn’t know. He doesn’t even know that Nesta was from a tiny town in the north of Prythian. All he thought he knew about her was that she was a Corporate lawyer (true) that was born and raised in Orilon (lie). Absently she rubbed at her ring as she drove her eyes still trained on the road in front of her. She’ll need to slip it off before confronting Cassian. Cauldron forbid that the sight of it will cause Cassian to double down on being spiteful over the thought of Nesta being happy. 

She rolls down Main Street. It was quiet for a Tuesday afternoon. There were a few people out and about slipping into the post office or walking out with their groceries from Vin’s General Store. She parks her rental car in front of a blue building in the window a sign reads:

Suriel LLP  
For All Your Legal Needs

She rubs at her ring, debating if she should take it off before heading in. The town lived off of gossip. Even the sight of her being seen could reach Cassian’s ear by the local grapevine before she gets to his door. She leans into her back seat, searching for her overly broad sun hat. In her glove compartment, she finds a pair of large sunglasses. She slips on her poor disguise before leaving her car.

Suriel LLP looked like it did when she was 23 when she was just Mr. Suriel’s Legal Assistant/Receptionist waiting for her letter from Orilon University Law to arrive. Reception was unsurprisingly empty. The waiting room sofa was the same brown tweed with the same coffee stains on the cushions, and she swears that the same magazines sat on the coffee table untouched. Old landscape sketches hung on the wall showing the Illyrian Steeps, the mountain range that surrounded the valley she was currently in. She walks up to the reception desk and dings the bell. She calls out, “Excuse me. I am here to see Mr. Suriel; I am his 1:30 appointment.” 

No answer. Nesta crosses her arms over her stomach, tapping her heeled foot impatiently. Who takes lunch at this hour? Did she forget small town hours? How her lunches used to run an hour over sitting in Rita’s with Mr. Suriel pouring over legal books to study for her LSAT? When Cassian would surprise visit her at work to take her home for lunch? Her scowl deepens. Back home, Orilon is home now; she would go out to lunch maybe three times a month. Tomas was busy running his family’s small real estate empire and would try to schedule lunch dates into his overly stuffed schedule. They would go to a fabulous sushi restaurant that must have been the best in all of Prythian. Sometimes if Tomas were romantic, he would take her out to the boardwalk to eat by the sea and talk, mostly about the appending wedding and what was still needing to be discussed with the wedding planner. 

She really wished she was back home. 

The bell from the door rings. “Sorry ma’am I was at a business lunch, and it ran overtime.” Mr. Suriel’s voice came up behind Nesta. She turns to face him. “Nesta, your early.”

She faces the skinny old man that was being swallowed in his tweed suit that matched the sofa. Mr. Suriel’s cheeks were hollow and his lips thin. His thinning grey hair was combed over, giving him a deep part. Mr. Suriel was in his early seventies but looked like he was pushing into his nineties. “Yes, the traffic wasn’t too bad, leaving the city.”

“I didn’t expect you to be here till 1:30. Claire doesn’t come back from her lunch for five minutes.” Mr. Suriel looks up at Nesta, eyeing her large hat skeptically. “Fashion choice or trying to hide incognito till you see Cassian?”

Nesta twists her engagement ring. Mr. Suriel’s eyes are drawn to the sparkling ring a tight smile forms. “Congratulations are in order as well. Have you taken back Cassian?” Nesta’s eyes narrow. “No. It looks like you met someone new. How… Charming. All the same, congratulations on your up and coming nuptials. I am guessing your visit is more business than casual.” Mr. Suriel moves over to the hallway to the left of the reception desk. “Please follow me to my office. I have to print out the papers still. Would you like anything to drink? The breakroom is… well, you know where the breakroom is. We have a new coffee machine, the one that takes the pods. Claire claims that it saves us from throwing out so many pots of wasted coffee. I swear that it doesn’t. Her husband is selling them at Vin’s. I think he conspires with her to push sales, but you didn’t hear it from me.” 

Nesta follows Mr. Suriel to his office. His office was neatly organized; all his paperwork was left in neatly labelled file folders left on his long row of filing cabinets. “It looks like you haven’t switched your files to electronic,” Nesta comments taking a seat in an old worn-out leather chair. Mr. Suriel places his briefcase upon his desk beside a similarly old bulky computer monitor circa 2002. “Do you still use WordPerfect?”

Mr. Suriel opens his briefcase, taking out a pair of thick-lensed glasses. “Claire switched me over to Microsoft Word 2013… I’m still getting used to the… layout.” He logins into his computer his glasses reflecting the strobing lights of the desktop and his eyes looked double in size. “We’re still not up to the times like your firm must be. I must say well done on your career so far, Nesta. I knew you would make a great lawyer; at this rate, you’ll be a partner soon.” Mr. Suriel’s eyes flicker over to her before going back to his screen. Nesta could see the shortcuts reflecting off his glasses as he searched out her divorce papers. 

“I don’t think so. I’m only a junior associate; it’s going to take a couple more years even to be recognized.” Nesta takes her hat off to run her hand over the brim absentmindedly.

“My office is always looking for new talent. If you ever find yourself coming back –”

Nesta cuts in, “I don’t think that will ever happen.”

Mr. Suriel looks at her with the same tight-lipped smile and all-knowing magnified eyes. “May that be the case or not my door is always open, and I’ll be thrilled to have you back as an associate. Ah, here it is.”

Nesta sucks on her cheek. Her living here, again? Working in a tiny firm, again, dealing with small claim court and drunk and disorderly cases? Ha, he must be going senile too at his age. She watches him as he clicks open the document and slowly presses print. The sound of the printer in the breakroom begins. 

“Would you like me to come with you?” Mr. Suriel asks; his hands are clasped on the desk his attention solely on her; his large magnified eyes were watching Nesta like prey. How easy has she forgotten the uneasy nature Mr. Suriel has. How he lived for small-town drama and what a drama would it be to see Nesta and Cassian see each other again. An eruption of bruised prides and anger would surely rock Velaris to the core like an earthquake. 

“No,” she shifts in her seat, straightening her posture. “I can handle this on my own. I am sure he’ll sign if I’m present.”

Mr. Suriel’s eyes narrow. “I don’t know. He was quite… set in his way when I last was over. He actually tore up the divorce papers.”

“You said in your email that he said that he would only sign if I was there.”

“He also said, mind you, that over his dead body would he sign anything without his lawyer present.”

“Good thing I’m a lawyer.”

Mr. Suriel’s eyes sparkle. “I think you misunderstood. His lawyer is Varian; he is out of town presently but…”

“I know that there have not been any changes since they were first sent to Varian’s office for his review. I don’t think his presence is needed to sign two-year-old papers.”

Claire comes in with a large stack of papers. “Mr. Suriel, I believe that these are yours. Nesta! How lovely to see you,” Claire Beddor was heavily pregnant. That was the first thing that Nesta saw, Claire’s large stomach and then the graphic tee showing an ultrasound of a baby holding an eviction letter with what she presumed to be Claire’s due date bolded. Nesta smiles a similarly tight-lipped one that mirrored her old boss’s. “Wow, you look so… fancy,” Claire eyes Nesta up and down. 

Nesta thought what she wore was, to her, casual. She wore her signature navy blue office dress with ruffled three-quarter sleeves with a pair of understated Jimmy Choo’s. She defiantly looked more dressed up than Claire Beddor’s jeans and pregnancy tee-shirt. It was surprising to see the most popular girl in her high school look so ordinary. “Are those Jimmy Choo’s?” Claire asks taking the seat next to Nesta, forgetting about the stack of papers she held. 

“Yes,” Nesta replies, watching as Claire rubs her stomach with her empty hand. “Congratulations on the baby.”

“Hmm,” Claire replies absently still looking at Nesta’s shoes and over to her Hermès Birkin, all gifts from Tomas to mark their second-year anniversary. “My third. I really wished that Isaac could afford a purse like that.” She sighs.

“Claire, can you please pass over the papers to me?” Mr. Suriel’s hand reaches over the desk. His limbs were long and bony. Claire looks over to him her material daze broken by her boss’s voice. She smiles brightly and passes the papers over to him before turning back to Nesta. 

“How is Orilon, I heard it’s the city that doesn’t sleep. How fabulous.” Claire sighs. 

“It’s like any city really. It’s busy, loud, and overly crowded.” Nesta says, placing her hat over her purse. 

“It must be like living in a fairy tale. I could never picture myself living there myself. I have my world here. Mom and dad are growing old, and the girls have started school. It must have been so scary to move from our quaint town to the city all by yourself all alone.” Claire made it sound like it was far worse than it was. Sure, it was scary, but so is every choice an adult makes. Including starting a family which to Nesta was far more terrifying than moving cross country. “But now you’re some big shot lawyer.”

Nesta tight-lipped smile hurt her cheeks as she watched Claire rub her stomach. Would that have been her if she didn’t leave for law school? Pregnant and regretting her life choices?

Mr. Suriel interrupts. “Nesta, here you go. Everything has been flagged that requires Cassian’s signature. Please bring back the lawyer copy to me once everything is signed.”

Claire moans, “Ohhhh,” Nesta back goes rigged. Please not this, please cauldron anything but this. “Your still not divorce?” 

“That’s why I’m here. You know Cassian, stubborn as a mule.” Nesta says, taking the papers into her hands. She reaches down to her purse, and a shocked sound was made from Claire. Nesta’s hand was yanked towards Claire’s face. The young woman lifts Nesta’s hand, eyeing the sparkling diamond on her finger. 

“That’s a rock!” She exclaims. “No wonder you’re here. I would want to show off that sparkler to my ex too.” Her smile is wicked as she catches Nesta’s gaze. “Looks like you caught a rich one.” 

Nesta pulled her hand back from Claire’s grasp. She grabs her purse and stuffs the divorce papers into it. “I would rather not discuss my personal life.” 

Claire puffs her cheeks, “I’m not sure why you wouldn’t want to talk about marriage. It wasn’t like your first one was any good. The groom didn’t even show up to the reception.” Nesta presses her eyes closed tightly and breathes in and out. Count to five. Remain cold and distant. She’s just upset that you left and had a life while she stayed and made hers miserable with the additional three she made. 

“I rather keep my engagement under wraps. I still need to get my divorce finalized.” She finally says, standing up. Mr. Suriel gets up as well. He moves around the desk and moves over to the door opening it for Nesta to walk out. He stops her and says, “Remember what I said. My door is always open.” 

She thanks him and walks out back onto Main Street with her hat and sunglasses on. 

It wasn’t like Claire was wrong. Her first marriage wasn’t great; there was a reason that she fled so far away to attend law school. Cassian was her first boyfriend. The first boy she let herself bring her walls down. He was handsome and cocky, and he knew how to spar with her. They were shockingly, friends before lovers. In her teenage heart and in her diaries, she thought that he was it. He was the one. They would have been like Claire and Isaac married with three kids living in a small shack by the lake with Cassian working at the mechanics’ shop and her working at Suriel LLP as a Legal Assistant/Receptionist. But no that was not how her marriage with Cassian was. 

She was a fool that got pregnant after a football game when Cassian scored the winning touchdown. They made love under the stars in the back of his pickup listening to the radio. Their marriage was the right thing to do. A respectable young lady needed to be married before she started popping out babies. It was rushed and horrible, and Nesta wished she never agreed to the whole thing. The church service was awful with Cassian running late from his long night bachelor party drinking with his brothers and turning up still drunk. She didn’t understand why he needed to be drunk to marry her. Was this not what he wanted? He always said he wanted to marry her. 

Nesta shakes her head. Back to the present Archeron, there is no time to fall back to bad memories. She gripped her steering wheel tight driving towards Cassian’s home. 

It was like how she remembered it but also not. The one-story home was painted pale yellow sidings with ivy growing up the sides of it. The front yard was patchy and unkempt. Even the small garden Elain started was more weeds than vegetables. The porch ran in front of the house with the best view of the lake. Two rocking chairs sat under the kitchen window the screen door was still closed, but the front door was open. She could smell biscuits baking. She closed her car door with a clang slipping her engagement ring in her purse as she walked up to the steps from the porch past the rocking chairs to the screen door. She not so polity knocked on the door. 

“I’m coming; I’m coming. Hold your fucking horses, Rhys.” Cassian voice rose from the depth of the house. Nesta back straightens. He sounded like he just woke up. Great, Cassian half-awake is the worse Cassian. “Tell Feyre to calm down. I made the fucking biscuits as I told her I would.” She caught sight of him; he wore a tight-fitting tee-shirt and dark joggers. His hands were in his long hair pulling it up into a ponytail. He had yet noticed that Nesta was not Rhys. He groggily moved to where Nesta thought could be the kitchen table picking up a plate of biscuits. “I don’t understand why she still thinks I’ll flake and not make –” He noticed her his shock expression was not lost to her nor how he dragged his eyes up and down her form as if trying to make sure she was, in fact, real and not imaginary. 

He walks up to the screen door. His arm rests above his head as he leaned on the door frame. He has his signature smirk on his face, and his eyes looked like they were sparkling. Nesta scowled. “As I live and breathe, my wife has returned. What can I do for you?” He looked so full of himself. So proud of himself. He smelled like Irish Spring and coconut. Nesta tries her best not to close her eyes as she breathes him in. After six almost seven years of not seeing him, he’s acting as if she was gone on vacation and was back home from finding herself. His smile was lovely and warm and so not worth the pain that she was about to give him again. But then again, she didn’t love him. He didn’t love her. 

“For starters, I need you to stop being a stubborn mule and sign the divorce papers.” She wills her eyes back to ice. She takes out the divorce papers from her bag and places them in Cassian’s viewpoint against the screen door. Cassian lifts his hand to rub at his jaw his smirk no longer there, and his eyes looked heavy. 

“I already told your lawyer that I ain’t signing shit till Varian looks over the paperwork.” He says, looking over the paper to Nesta. 

“Varian has seen the paperwork the first time. Nothing has changed.” Nesta pushes the paper harder against the screen door.

“And how do I know that if Varian hasn’t reviewed it. I don’t want to find out that you took all my money and my home from right underneath my nose in the fine print.” Cassian gaze never flickered back to paper. He was only looking at her. 

“Cassian -” Nesta begins before Cassian straightens his back. Nesta drops her hand, holding the divorce papers.

“Do your sisters know that you’re in town?” Nesta looks past his shoulder. “Of course not. Why would you want your only family to know that you came to town to harass me about divorce?”

“I have a plane to catch. Can you sign the damn papers?” 

“Is Varian here?” Cassian crosses his arms over his chest as if waiting for an answer. “No? Well, I guess there’s your answer. Go see Feyre and Elain. They would like to see their runaway sister.”

“That is none of your concern. What my relationship is with my sisters is for me to decide, not yours. We have been separated for seven years, Cassian. We’re not husband and wife. Just sign the papers.” 

“You know what I changed my mind. I won’t speak to you until you talk to your sisters. Varian also must be present, but I want you to talk to your sisters.” Cassian moves closing the front door and locks it. 

“For fucksake!” Nesta screams at the door. She pounds and pounds at the door. “Open the fucking door Cassian! Stop being a child!” 

She continues to pound as Cassian blasts music. She stops and remembers that Cassian probably still didn’t know where the spare key to the house was. Cassian was not the type to change the locks to his glorified shack residency, and he probably forgot that there was a spare hiding somewhere on the grounds of his home. Nesta ran her hand up the kitchen window. The curtains were drawn, and it looked like Cassian wasn’t in the kitchen. She ran her hand up to the top of the window frame feeling for the – “Ah-Ha!” Nesta proclaims getting her fingers around the key and pulling it down. 

She unlocks the door and steps in. The house was neat. Not surprising from Cassian’s strict childhood. The kitchen was clean with old tiled countertops and 50s appliances. His fridge was covered in magnets holding pieces of paper and photographs. She places her purse on the small four-seat table set in the middle of the kitchen and walks over to the fridge seeing a photo of herself and Cassian smiling taken in tenth grade. And there more photos of her and Cassian with their friends and family. And on the side of the fridge next to the oven hidden, but not well enough was the photo. The photo of the ultrasound. 

Nesta turns and goes back to her purse for the divorce papers. She hears him humming, happily thinking that she gave up. She moves so she can see the tiny living room. He’s sitting on the couch flicking through channels on his tv. His plate of biscuits sat cellophaned on the coffee table next to his feet. She moves with purpose in one hand the divorce papers in the other the spare key. She moves to the stereo and slowly turns down the music. Cassian turns.

“I am calling the cops your breaking and entering on private property.” Cassian hands go for his cell phone that too was on the coffee table charging. 

“It’s not breaking and entering when I know where you keep the spare key,” She waves the key in front of his face, “and also, as I am still married to you this is our property. I dare you to call the cops I’m doing nothing wrong.”

“Nesta, I swear to the Cauldron that if you don’t leave my house this instant, I will drag you out.”

“Is that a threat?” Nesta moves further into the living room. Cassian had his phone unlocked in his hand.

“Maybe, would you want to test it?” Cassian opens up his contact list going through it till he reaches Rhys’s name. 

There was a knock at the door. Cassian and Nesta looked at each other. “Cas! Hey, sleepyhead! Feyre is worried that you forgot her biscuits! Cas! Wake up, dude! If you don’t get over here in like five seconds, I am coming in!” Rhys’ voice yelled from the door. 

“Fuck…” Cassian rolls his head back. He snaps back, staring down and Nesta, “You stay there.” He gets up, picking up his plate of biscuits and walks out to the front door.

“There you are sleeping beauty. Come on we got to get those to Feyre.” The screen door squeaks open. 

“Hey dude, I’ve got to do some stuff before I head over.” 

Nesta not taking Cassian’s command began to creep over to the archway separating the living room to the kitchen. She peeps her head around the corner spotting Rhysand wearing a sheriff uniform. His dark hair that was once almost as long and shaggy as Cassian was cropped short showing off his slightly irregular pointed ears. He had the same dashing smirk and childish spark in his eyes. 

“Work on a Friday? I thought you said that you would never work weekends?” Rhys said his hands on his waist.

“Yeah… I got some paperwork that needs to be done today. Why don’t you take this,” Cassian passes his plate of biscuits to Rhys.

“That’s not enough; the whole gang is over. This will not last a second.” Rhys takes the plate.

“I don’t really have the time currently to bake three hundred and fifty biscuits for your fiancé to stuff down her throat.” 

Nesta’s eyes widen. Rhys was engaged? Not with Feyre, surely not. Feyre would have told her so. 

“Hey, it would be Mor too, they share.” 

“Yeah, whatever. I’ll be over in like an hour tops.” 

Nesta, not wanting to miss her chance, walked into the kitchen. “Rhys,” Nesta greets walking fully into the kitchen. 

“Work my ass, Cas. Think of the devil, and she appears. Nesta, what hole have you crawled out of this time.” Rhysand replies. Cassian glares at Nesta moving to the right to let Rhysand into the house.

“Not the one you were hoping of. I am here actually to –” 

Cassian cuts in, “to help me review contracts. You know as she is a corporate lawyer, she has a better understanding of… contracts.” Rhysand gives him a skeptical look.

“I am not here to look over contracts if I was; he could hardly afford it.” She looks at him pointily. “I am here to get him to sign this.” She extends the divorce papers toward Rhysand who whistles.

“I thought you dealt with this already,” Rhysand looks at Cassian who was leaning against the tiled kitchen cabinet. 

“I thought I did,” Cassian replies.

“Tearing it apart is not dealing with it.” She deadpans. “Can you please force him to sign the damn thing! It costs me a small fortune.”

“As much as I would love to use my badge over my brother that’s an abuse of power that might force me out of office.”

“Can you at least talk some sense into this idiot?” She asks.

“That I could try… But not today.” 

“I need this signed today. I don’t have time to play this game anymore.” Nesta huffs.

“I am sure another week won’t hurt you,” Cassian replies. “Varian will be back and will look over the papers then I will sign.” 

Nesta goes to her bag on the kitchen table and begins a search for her ring. She puts it on and flings it in front of Cassian. “I don’t have a month for this Cassian. I am getting married in four weeks, and I still have things to plan.” Cassian’s eyes go wide. Rhysand gasps. 

“I am guessing your sisters don’t know,” Cassian replies, still looking at the diamond with a stet jaw. She really didn’t want to show the ring, but it was the only card she had left. 

“Please sign the papers.” Nesta drops her hand, pushing the papers towards Cassian on the table. He sits down the vinyl chair squeaks at his weight and finally looks at the paper. Rhysand stands back at the door his eyes still looking at the sparkling diamond on her hand. No one knew. She wanted to leave her old life behind. She wanted to start her life new with Tomas with nothing holding her back. She always thought of herself a loner with no family. She pulls out a pen with her firm’s name on it and places it next to the paper for Cassian to reach. 

He looks at it then looks over to Rhysand.


	2. Not one to be a visitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter song choice is:
> 
> All in My Stride by Palace 
> 
> (Palace is like one of my all-time favourite bands. If you like the song, please listen to every album they came out or at least listen to Life After -- such a vibe) 
> 
> Sorry for the forever wait. I (cliche here) was very busy with life. I hope this chapter is okay.  
> :)

Nesta watched Cassian as he clicked the top of the pen. She watched her estranged husband rub his stubbled chin as he looked through the paperwork. When did he grow a beard? It wasn't long, more like a five o'clock shadow. Scratchy whiskers that were darker and more defined closer to his jaw. He looked rugged and more adult. In her mind, when she thought of Cassian, which was not very often, she saw him never ageing always staying at nineteen, frozen in time. 

Her phone buzzed. Cassian's deep brown eyes flicker to her narrowing down to her purse where the vibration was coming from. Nesta pulled it out and saw Tomas' name on the display. "I have to take this, it's work," Nesta gets up, making her way to the front yard before answering.

"Tomas." It comes out as a sigh as she leans against a tree. 

"Nesta, how's the conference going?" Tomas's voice was muffled, most likely talking through his headphones as he walked from his office to the gym. She was already missing the structure of home. Tomas lived off a schedule, he woke up at four in the morning to do meditation for an hour, at five he would call her and then at six they would go for a morning jog. It was so easy to live life in a schedule. Nothing surprising, nothing sneaking up behind to catch you off guard. It was comforting.

"As good as it can be. Networking and listening to big egos talk about their great achievements," Nesta shoots a look toward the house seeing if the two men inside were trying to listen in to her conversation. "Jared sent me a long-winded email, so I'm still on the clock, which means..."

"A bigger honeymoon for us. Did you read the fifty emails I sent you last night? The wedding planners still need approvals if we're going with a live band or a DJ."

"I thought we already talked about that. Live band, we're classy, not trashy."

"And there are also-"

"I'll read the emails when I get back to the hotel. I can't right now."

"Not having second thoughts, are you?" 

"No, of course not. It's busy at work right now. There are too many companies that are going public and don't get me started on the multitude of -"

"I get it, you're very busy," Tomas had away of making everything he said sound a tad bit condescending. Like you had to take a double-take to question if he was trying to be rude or it was just Tomas, "But you need to remember our relationship is a top priority, which means?"

"Our wedding is top priority. I'll email the planners tonight when I get back to the hotel."

"Okay, I got to go. At the gym. Love you," he hangs up before her reply. 

Our wedding is top priority, not her career, which is currently taking a back seat as she is dealing with the only important thing that decides if she gets married or not. She runs her hands up her face and back down as she groans. Hopefully, when she gets back into that kitchen, Cassian signed the papers and she could catch the next flight out of this Cauldron damned place. 

He's still clicking the pen when she gets in. Rhys was now sitting in one of the uneven kitchen table chairs. He wobbles as he moves to watch Nesta re-enter the room. She takes her seat and the vinyl whines.

"You should have replaced these years ago." She says while trying to find her balance. 

"They're my grandma's," Cassian replies, flipping to a new page. Right his grandmother, the woman who raised him when his mom died. She was a tough old lady. She didn't approve of Nesta mostly because her father was gambling drunk, and as Cassian's grandmother was extremely religious, she believed the devil was in the drink, and a dollar lost to sin was a mark of sinister things to come. She basically thought Nesta would either make Cassian a sinner or that Nesta was a witch the charmed Cassian into dating her. Either way, Nesta was a bad influence on her grandson. And yet she was the one that insisted the two got married.

"How's work?" Rhys awkwardly asked, trying to break the awkward standstill as Nesta watch Cassian read. 

"Fine, you?" She watches Cassian flip to the next page. He clicks the pen again. 

"Good. Feyre and Elain are good too. Elain is working up in the Steeps at a flower shop. And Feyre is actually working with - Ouch!" Rhys yelps lifting his foot from the floor up to his seat. Cassian looks up at him, and they share a long silent conversation over intense eye contact. Rhy breaks eye contact looking back to Nesta, "Feyre is working."

"Nice." She really didn't need the update on her sisters as Elain messages Nesta's work email on the daily with reports on her everyday life. Today Nesta received an email with the subject line: "We ran out of orange roses, and I need three thousand for a wedding :{!! Also, I made cookies, and the recipe was from Pinterest:) I sent you the link!!!!". Life was difficult when you lived in the era of google sleuthing, and your job gives out your email to the public for cold calls. 

"Um..." Rhys drummed his thumbs on the table, thinking of anything else he could talk about with Nesta.

"You really don't need to try to talk to me. I would prefer it if you don't." 

It was quiet for a while. Nesta watching Cassian, Cassian reading and Rhys watching Nesta. Cassian looks down at his watch. Cassian places the pen down. "Rhys? What time is it?" Cassian asks, turning to look at his brother. 

"I don't know. Close to three." Rhys replies.

Cassian puts down Nesta's pen and looks at her. "After careful review, I am not signing anything without my lawyer present." 

Nesta's mouth tightens. "What do you mean you won't sign anything? I thought I made it clear that I don't have the time to wait for Varian to come back to review papers that have not been changed."

"Nesta, I am no lawyer. All this is," he pushes the papers back to Nesta, "is gibberish. It's like reading Tolstoy; my mind can't keep up with the words I'm reading." He puts Nesta's pen in his pocket while getting up. Nesta looks at the papers in disbelief. 

"I can't believe that you would do this..." Nesta whispers to herself. Her ice glare focus right at Cassian. "I can't believe that you hate the idea that I am happy that you would sabotage my future by being... an... asshole!" She yells at him; she stands up and stabs her finger at his chest. He looks at her with steeled eyes. She only saw that look once in her life, and that was when he met his birth father. It was as if he saw right through her like she wasn't there at all. 

"I am not signing anything, Nesta." He moves to the door picking up his plate of biscuits as he went. 

Nesta grabs her purse, making sure to put the papers into it before following Cassian out to the porch and down to the dirt driveway. "Where do you think you're going?" She calls after him. He didn't even lock his door. Small town living was full of idiots who trusted their neighbours wouldn't go wandering into their homes, taking anything from them. 

Cassian turns to face Nesta, "To your sisters' for dinner." Cassian turns to Rhys, "Let's take your car." 

"What about me? What am I supposed to do? Sit on your porch and wait till Varian comes?" Nesta crosses her arms. 

"I really don't give a fuck where you go," Cassian replies, getting to the sheriff's passenger side door. 

Rhys looks like he would want to be anywhere but here. "You can come over for dinner. I am sure Feyre can make room at the table for an extra mouth." 

"And be what? A bombshell? No, I rather not be in anyone's way, except yours Cassian." She points at him through the front window of the car.

"Where will you stay? There's no hotels in Velaris?" Rhys asks. He stood by his open door.

"I'll go to one of the resorts... Or something," Nesta replies. She really didn't think that she would be here for a full week. She didn't pack an entire suitcase of clothes; instead, she had a weekender bag with a second set of clothes in case she missed her flight, which she will in four hours...

"Nesta, Feyre and Elain would be happy to have you stay with them."

"No, I can't do that." She didn't want to see her sisters, it wasn't that she didn't love them; she adored them. But they had multiple heated arguments since her move to Orilion that put a heavy strain on her relationship with the two. Nesta feared that if she stayed under the same roof as both them, that sure enough, the argument will arise and more hurt feelings would inevitably ensue, and there would be no escape by hanging up a cellphone. 

"Of course, you can, I insist that -" 

"Rhys, let it go. If Nesta wants to set up camp on my porch, so be it. At least the crows won't peck at my garden with a scarecrow like her." Cassian interjects. 

"There are more weeds than vegetables in that garden, and you know that."

"If you would like. I mean, you could always come with us to visit your family and friends." Cassian replies. 

"I don't have friends here." 

Cassian laughs dryly. "Did you hear that, Rhys. Nesta forgot that you can't throw away friends when you up and leave them." He turns to look at her, "Your fortunate to know that those people that were your friends still see you as such."

"Nesta..." Rhys pauses, thinking of the best way to approach the beast, that is, Nesta. He opens his mouth and closes it again. Why repeat what Cassian said, even if it was going to be more sugar-coated. "If you feel that you can't stand being here out in the cold, come by to your sisters. I really think that they would happily open their arms to you." And with that, Rhys slipped into his car, buckles up and heads out with Cassian.  
______

Nesta sat on the porch stairs looking out to the lake. In her hand was her work cellphone opened to her emails. She was at first scrolling through the twelve unread emails, all asking what her status was with preparing the first prospectus for a new tech company. Instead of replying, she watched the water lap the stone beach. It was tranquil here. The sound of the breeze through the trees and the crickets in the meadow was like a time machine. Nesta took a long breath and paused. She closed her eyes and took in the only minute of stillness she had from the past nine years, no since she was nine. The city was loud and busy and made it easy for her to push down her need to review her life choices and start the process of regret. One of the best things about being a lawyer was that you could keep working till you crash and gosh did she push herself to crash. She let her breath go. 

She knew that her relationship with Tomas might not be the best with communication. Tomas was not a conversationist. He was a man of passion... for his job, golfing, gym and sometimes her. And that suited Nesta's life perfectly. She needs her independence. He never got too upset when she stayed late at the office, nor did he get upset when she had to skip out and take a phone call while out to lunch. He cared for her. 

He bought her expensive gifts and vacations; he made his bachelor apartment their home with her own office, and Nesta appreciated his company, well most of the time. One of the very few dislikes that Nesta did not really love of Tomas was his frat boy attitude to things. He was a rich boy that went to a prestigious university only to party and work half-assed to get his diploma for business and went straight to work at his parent's company. Tomas went to one of the top fraternities where he spoke only rich boy. He was dull and came across as stupid when he talked to his university friends. His social media was full of photos of him flexing at the gym with captions: "Flex Friday." He was very much two dimensional in public. 

But he was safe, and he was home. 

She walks over to her car to grab her laptop. Might as well start on the prospectus and those emails before the phone calls start. 

______

Bored. She was bored. She made her way into Cassian's kitchen to work as the idiot didn't lock his door when he left. She sent off a rough first draft of the prospectus to the lead partner for review and finished her emails with in the first three hours. Cassian was still not home. 

Nesta did not want to sit around for the rest of the afternoon, waiting for Cassian to be back. She searched on her laptop for hotels in the Steep. She looked for a midrange hotel and called they had no rooms. She called the next hotel... and the next hotel... She called every Cauldron forsaken hotel in all of the Steeps, and none had a hotel room. It was mid-June, and every hotel was booked. It would make sense if it was the winter months as skiing and snowboarding were very popular, but mid-June? She had nowhere to stay except her rental car, which was not idle. Who wanted to be that loser that slept in her rental in front of her estranged husband's home? Not her. 

She thought of her next choices. She already crossed out her car. She could see if Mr. Surriel wouldn't mind her staying at his home. No, she did not want to stay at his place to be used as a gossip mine. Her only other option was her sisters' home. She weighed her options again but only came out with the same conclusion. 

She got into her car and drove. 

______

Her childhood home was similar in style to Cassian's but with a second floor. It resided in the far edge of town nestled by trees with a large backyard where Elain's garden bloomed this time of year. It was a home full of melancholy memories. 

Nesta parked in front of the neighbours and once again debated. Cassian had yet to come back, which meant he was most likely still with her sisters, which most likely also means that her sisters' friends were even there. She had to make another choice. Sit in her car and wait or get out and walk to that front door like a big girl. 

With her weekender bag over her shoulder and her purse nestled in the crook of her elbow, she walked on the uneven cement pathway to the front porch. Elain's roses crept up trellises next to the living room window. The front door was painted firey red ombre to almost appear that it was a flame, Feyre's work most defiantly. The closer Nesta got to the front door, the louder the laughter and music got inside. The driveway proved that there were plenty more people than just her two sisters, Cassian and Rhys. 

Nesta brought her ringless hand (she stashed it away in her purse in hopes that she wouldn't need to have an argument over invitations) and knocked. She paused, waiting for the noise to die down. It didn't. She knocked again. Nothing. She twists the door and to her, not surprise the door opened. 

The small foyer welcomed her in with photos of her younger years. A bench next to the door was crammed with shoes of all types and sizes in disarray. Nesta slipped off her heels and held them, not wishing to lose them in the pile. She passed the stairs to the left into the living room, where a large L-shaped couch faced a fireplace and bookcases full of novels and knick-nacks. A small electric piano was pushed to the wall next to the archway to the kitchen with sheet music opened. 

Coffee mugs and plates of snacks once forgotten littered the coffee table. In her childhood, the living room lived only a sofa bed where her father slept. It looked such a different know like people actually lived here and not just slept. 

The laughter was loud and coming from the kitchen. Nesta could hear Feyre telling a story about Vin's general store and making a narrow escape from buying an overly expensive coffee machine. She then made fun of how it was the same model Rhys just recently purchased at a marked up price in the city. 

"If I knew that Isaac was going to be selling them next to the frozen section of Vin's, I wouldn't have travel three hours to get a triple priced machine."

"Hindsight is twenty-twenty, babe," Feyre replies with a giggle. 

Nesta's breezing is hitched. What was she doing? Sleeping in her car would be far less horrible than walking into her childhood home with no explanation, then there were no hotels, and I am trying to get a divorce.

"Well, if you want to know, my day was very eventful."

"You caught another speeding teen?" Amren asks. 

"No, I actually dealt with a house call, didn't I Cassian?"

"What house call, you didn't... No. We are not discussing that."

"Discussing what?" Elain piped up.

"Nothing -" Cassian got caught off from Rhys.

"Cassian had a little house intruder."

"Stop talking, Rhys. I swear to the Cauldron that you will regret whatever you say next."

"Someone that - Ahh! Get off of me!" There was a loud commotion sounding as if Cassian jumped on top of Rhys.

Nesta heard as everyone tried to separate the two brothers. "If you're going to fight, do it outside!" Feyre yelled. 

"I was only going to tell them that -"

"Shut your stupid mouth, Rhys. That is none of your fucking concern." 

"That Nesta is back?"

Silence. No one made a move. "That was no concern for any of us?" Elain asks. "That my sister appeared in town after a year of no contact?" 

"Elain, she came here to see me."

"She's my sister. If she showed up out of thin air, I want to know. I don't care if she was there to see you." Elain's voice was restrained. It was the angriest Nesta heard from her. 

"She said she didn't want to see you and to know that she was in town," Cassian continued. 

"I don't care what she said. I want to know these things." Elain replied. 

"Elle, she said she didn't want us to know," Feyre calmly said. 

"I don't care." 

"I know. But you have to understand that Nesta wants her space."

"I don't fucking care! I am sick of her avoidance. If she's here, I want to see her. Where is she, Cassian."

"I don't know," Cassian replies.

"Yes, you do. Where is she?"

"She was at my porch last I saw her. She said that she was going to the Steeps to get a hotel."

"She might be still at your place. Feyre, can you drive me?" 

"Elain, I really think that you shouldn't just ambush her. And most likely, Nesta is up in a resort somewhere."

"If you won't take me, then I am just going to go myself." 

"You're going to walk all the way to Cassian's?"

"Yes." 

Nesta could hear footsteps nearing her, not so hidden spot. Nesta looked around, trying to spot a place that didn't make it look like she was overhearing their entire conversation. She walked quickly back to the foyer. 

"Elain, I'll take you tomorrow. If anything, she will be back at Cassian's." Rhys said, following Elain into the living room. 

Elain walked her feet made no noise as she got closer and closer to her sister. "I don't want to go tomorrow I want to see her -- Nesta?"


	3. To the sister who icy exterior is too hard to defrost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Current song that I want everyone to love as much as I do is (drum roll please)
> 
> circle the drain by soccer mommy
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter and this wonderful song!

"Nesta?" 

Her name hung in the air. Nesta, like most humans, had many regrets and right now, coming home was one of the worse choices she made. Maybe she should have been forthcoming with Thomas regarding the whole separated from my ex with a divorce pending instead of playing a mysterious lover with no back story to speak of. But she didn't, and now she's in her childhood home that doesn't look all the same with her sister who Nesta hasn't spoken to but has been receiving a weekly newsletter regarding the lives of her sisters through Elain's email account. 

"Um... Hi Ellie." Nesta's voice was soft and raspy. She couldn't look at Elain's face; instead, she trained her eyes to Elain's hairline. It was as if the air only got thicker. 

"Nesta?" Feyre's voice follows from behind Elain. Nesta's eyes follow the sound to see paint-stained overall-wearing Feyre step out from the kitchen to the living room. Feyre and Nesta have not been in the same place together since Feyre visited Nesta in the city to beg her to come back home. It was a horrible fight that ended up being a catalyst for more to come in the future. The two sisters were so in like with there mother with how stubborn and strong-willed they were that even as kids, they fought more than they got along. 

"Hi, Feyre."

"When did you get in? I didn't hear a knock." Feyre walked over, standing next to a gaping Elain who didn't know if she should hug Nesta or wait to see if she wasn't a hologram. 

"No one in this Cauldron damned place locks there doors," Nesta replies.

"Who needs to lock doors when you know where the low lives are, and what they're interested in is not you," Feyre replied. 

"Crime still happens."

"Not here."

"That's what everyone that gets robbed says."

"Not true."

"How would you know."

"I have said that plenty of times and have not," Feyre knocks on the wood crowning that framed the archway, "been robbed."

Nesta also knocks on the archway, "Let's hope that it doesn't." 

The reunion was watched by the sisters' friends from the kitchen. It was odd to see how Nesta acted when she felt that she had nothing to worry about. Cassian was still in the kitchen. He stuck his head in the cold refrigerator looking for a beer. He grabs one from the very back and opens it with the corner of the granite countertop. 

"Look at our city slicker sister, Ellie. All dressed up and not on a Sunday," Feyre says, using one of their mom's old sayings. Their mother used to say "all dressed up and not on a Sunday" to their father when he came back from the paper mill in all his overall glory. 

"I had a coffee date with a client before my flight," Nesta says, straightening out her dress. She felt, once again, overly dressed up. Both her sisters had their hair pulled up in ponytails. Elain's legs were covered in dirt patches, most likely from weeding on this fine afternoon. 

Feyre hummed before noticing Nesta's weekender bag slung over her shoulder. "Decided to crash at home instead of a fancy hotel?" Feyre crossed her arms. 

"There are no rooms available. I called every hotel in the Steppes."

"And you think you can surprise us and expect a bed?" Feyre's left eyebrow raises.

Elain pipes up, "You can have my room. It's no problem at all." Elain goes to take Nesta's weekender bag, but Feyre stops her by putting her arm out.

"Ellie," Feyre was trying to convey that Elain should take a step back and let her sister's talk. 

"Feyre," Elain raises her voice, "I have offered my room." Elain pushes Feyre's arm out of the way and takes Nesta's bag. She makes her way up the stairs motioning Nesta to follow her. 

"When you're done up there, we need to talk," Feyre says before turning to stalk over to her friends.

Nesta doesn't watch Feyre walk over to her friends; she didn't even look at them to begin with. Instead, she followed her sister up the stairs that were no longer carpeted to the second floor. The upstairs got a smaller facelift compared to the living room. The carpet was also removed, showing old oak floors. Upstairs were only three bedrooms and a shared full bath. Nesta's old room faced the road, Feyre's toward the woods on the left and Elain's faced the backyard so she could look over her garden. 

Elain walked over to her door. Bright pink butterflies of all different sizes adorned the door as well as a glittery "E" that branded her room since she was six. Elain opened the door and placed Nesta's bag down next to the dresser. Nesta stood by the door frame, looking into a more mature version of Elain's childhood room. Her bed was pushed by the window that overlooked her beloved garden with sheer muslin curtains to let in light. Next to her bed was a narrow bedside table that held a pile of books on botany. An ivy plant stood on her vanity; its veins long were guided up the wall to her window. 

"It looks like a forest in here," Nesta says, looking at all the houseplants Elain hoarded. Air plants hung down from the ceiling along with succulents that took every surface left. 

"Feyre said that I could only have ten. I was able to split up a couple, so I have almost twenty plants in here. Isn't it just lovely?" Elain asks, touching a plant as she gave Nesta the grand tour of her small room. She pointed out every plant telling Nesta not only the Latin name but also the pet names she gave them.

"I would have offered you your old room, but Feyre had made it into her studio." Elain grasps her elbow behind her back.

"Better than a home gym, at least it gets used," Nesta says. A part of her was sad to know that her old room was gone. That Feyre painted over Nesta's former space. But she knew that to be foolish as she didn't live here anymore and who would expect to have an untouched time capsule to come back home to when she planned never to come back. 

"How did you like my newsletters?" Elain asks, taking a seat on a bean bag that lay beside her bed. 

"It was very informative. How did you get my work email?" Nesta asks, taking a seat on the bed. 

Elain looks up at her sister with a broad grin, "the great thing about the internet is that you kind find all sorts of information. All I had to do was find your LinkedIn to find out where you worked. From there, I went to the firm's website and searched your name and downloaded the v-card that kindly gave me not only your email but your assistants as well. Becky is really nice. She deserves a raise." 

"I don't give raises that's human resources. And you have been in contact with Becky?" Nesta asks. Becky was an older legal assistant that was quiet and very much to herself. She was reliant and easy to work with. Nesta liked her, but now not so much knowing that she has been emailing her sister. 

"Well, you don't answer my emails. Becky, just lets me know if your alive or not." 

Nesta hums.

"Don't worry about Feyre," Elain says patting her sister's knee, "She's still a bit mad about the whole Cassian fiasco. But she is very happy to see you." 

"Thanks, El. I am not too concerned. I understand that Feyre doesn't like my life choices, but they're mine, not hers."

"I think she feels like you not only threw away Cassian but also her. You caught off all contact with everyone. You sort of punished all of us." Elain's voice strains trying to hide her sadness. 

"I am sorry. I just wanted to concentrate on my studies," Nesta tells her sister.  
______/p>

Feyre takes Cassian's beer, taking a long swig before giving it back. "Happy to share, Fey," Cassian sarcastically says, putting down the beer on the counter.

"My sister's shows out of the blue," Feyre turned her attention to her boyfriend Rhys, who followed her to the kitchen table, "Didn't call, didn't text, she just showed up because there was nowhere else to go. We were her last choice, ha." Feyre places her head in her hands. Rhys rubs her shoulders, but Feyre shrugs him off. 

"She spent almost five years with no contact, not a text, and she shows up out of the blue in my house wanting a bed?" Feyre huffs. 

Cassian rubs at his neck. He knew this was partly his fault. If he signed the divorce papers, Nesta wouldn't be here. She would be with her fiance living it up in the big city. She wouldn't be small town Nesta that would sneak out of the house for a quick joy ride around town in the wee hours of the morning. Not the small town Nes that would grab lunch with him during the workweek. Not his Sweetheart. He was selfish. He knew this. And he was very hardheaded, but this was for love. This was his last chance to show her... what? What could he possibly have that would make her remember that she loved him and only him? He picked up his beer and took a sip. 

"Cassian, why is she here?" Feyre looks over at him expectantly.

Cassian shrugged his shoulders, "Your guess is good as mine," he lies through straight teeth. Rhys looked at him with raised eyebrows. Cassian glares at him, daring him if Rhys wanted another rematch of kitchen wrestling. Rhys looks back down at his girlfriend. 

"This doesn't make any sense. Why would Nesta come back?" She looked helplessly at Rhys.

"The hell we know," Armen takes her seat in front of Feyre. "Nesta does as Nesta pleases."

"That she does," Mor confirms taking Cassian's beer and finishing it, "thanks."

"No problem, I love only having two sips of my beer..." Cassian huffs, taking the empty bottle and putting it into the recycling bin next to the back door. 

_____________

Elain helped Nesta unload her bag. Inside held another work dress, a pair of nice jeans, a green blouse and a pair of white tennis shoes along with her other necessities. Elian grabbed a couple of hangers from her closet, insisting on helping hang the clothes. 

"That's everything?" Elain asks, surprised to see so little. 

"It was supposed to be a short visit," Nesta explains.

"Why are you here?"

"Cassian hasn't signed the divorce papers," Nesta sighs, watching Elain raise her eyebrows.

"Your divorcing Cassian?" 

"We haven't been together for almost seven years. I have made a home in Orilon. A long-distance marriage defeats the idea of getting married in the first place," Nesta explains, watching Elain move from the closet over to the bean bag where she flops down. 

"I mean, I understand that... It's just that you and Cassian were supposed to be together forever, raise a family-"

"Look how well that went, Ellie." Nesta didn't intend to be so harsh, but Elain hit a wrong spot. 

"I'm sorry," Elain apologizes.

"I know. I just don't want to talk about that right now." Nesta instead steers the conversation over Elain's garden and her new job as a florist. Elain animatedly described what she was growing and how she organized her planters. Nesta let her talk.

After a while, Elain gets up and stretches her hands out for Nesta to grasp. Nesta took hold of her sister's hands and was pulled up from the bed. "We should really get some food in you. You're getting so thin," Elain says, pushing Nesta out of her room. 

The two sisters made there was down the stairs holding hands. Elain walks with purpose as they enter into a quiet kitchen. Feyre looked like she was holding court with Rhys beside her. Mor leaned against the table, looking down at Armen, who had a newspaper open to the crossword. Azriel was coming from the backyard wearing an apron and holding a plate of burgers. And Cassian was facing the sink. 

"Hi Azriel," Nesta greets. 

Az waves his hand in greeting, "Nice to see you, Nesta."

"Armen, Mor," she acknowledges. She removes her hand from Elain's grasp and wraps her arms instead around her waist. 

"Nesta, you are looking lovely today," Mor smiles, "loving the dress." Leave it to Mor to still give a compliment to a person she hasn't seen in years.

"Thanks."

"What did the cat drag in?" Armen says, her eyes staring directly at Nesta before going back to the crossword puzzle, "It's a five-letter word, think people." 

"Nesta," Nesta provides.

"Thanks." Armen to her pencil next to her wine glass and starts to write down a word that was most defiantly, not Nesta. 

"Look, Feyre. I came here for a reason-"

Cassian once again jumps in, "to help me look over contracts."

"No, to get my divorce finalized." Nesta glares at Cassian, who shrinks away once all eyes were back on him. 

Feyre looks mildly shocked. "Cassian, I thought you didn't know why Nesta was here? And also, I thought you dealt with the divorce. Rhys said you signed the papers ages ago."

Cassian rubs the back of his neck, "About that..."

"He has been putting me through hell, that's what he's been doing." Nesta huffs, "I was supposed to be here only for a few hours to persuade this barbarian to sign the dotted lines, but he has refused to do so again." 

"Varian isn't here," Cassian tries to explain. Feyre looks at him knowing full well that it wasn't Varian that was keeping him signing. To think of it, not a single soul besides Nesta knew that Cassian was using an empty excuse. 

"Nothing has changed in the last two years."

"Okay," Feyre cuts into the conversation, "So, you came here for a day trip because of Cassian being Cassian and were never going to let me or Elain know that you were in town?" 

"Well, yes..." Nesta says before adding in, "and no. I was sure you guys would be busy, and I had no time in between me coming here and leaving as I made this excuse that I was at an overnight conference. And know I have to call... I need to call work and let them know that I will be extending my days off." Nesta concluded, not saying that she needed to actually call Tomas. 

Feyre looks at as if trying to dissect the truth from Nesta's eyes. Rhys looks at Nesta, and then to her ringless finger, his eyebrows shot up. "Where's your ring, Nesta?" 

Nesta glared at him, cursing him out in her head. "What ring?" Feyre and Elain ask. 

Putting her hand in her dress pocket, she takes out the engagement ring and slips it on. Their friends all look at Cassian that was gulping down a freshly opened beer. All of them looked sad for him on his behalf. And he hated it. 

"I didn't want to through to many shockers at you in one day," Nesta explains, twisting the diamond ring around her finger. Elain picked up Nesta's hand and looked at the diamond. It was bigger than her first engagement ring but was still simple in design. 

"It's very pretty," Elain reassures Nesta. Nesta gave her an uneasy quip of her lips. 

"Who are you engaged to?" Feyre asks, not moving but was staring at the ring. 

"Tomas Mandray, I met him at university. He's a real estate agent." Nesta supplies. 

"Nesta Mandray doesn't sound right," Armen says, dropping her newspaper in expect the lovely piece of jewelry. Armen loved jewellery. Her inspection was more similar to Claire's. Armen to Nesta's hand up to the light and began to look at the shimmering diamond. "But very nice, simple, but very nice." She says about the ring. She looks over to Cassian, who was now busing himself with prepping the burgers. Az watched Armen carefully. "It seems," she says directly at Cassian's back, "that Tomas knows how to keep a woman." Cassian's back stiffens, but he continued to grab ingredients.

Mor looks at Nesta, "that's very nice. When's the wedding?" 

Nesta could lie, but with Rhys's big mouth, there was no hope in getting away from the truth. "Four weeks from now. That's why I came here personally to get Cassian to sign." 

"And where are our invites?" Feyre asks, "Did you think we would busy to attend out eldest's sister's nuptials?" 

"It's going to be a very small wedding, and it's so expensive the city." 

"Of course," was all Feyre replies. The air was thick, and Nesta was, once again, regretting her life choices.


	4. Runner always runs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all, 
> 
> Song number 1 - Where is My Mind? by the Pixies   
> Song number 2 - Regrets by Hether
> 
> Short Chapter, but it is all in the setup, isn't it?

Nesta didn't stay after that. Feyre was more than upset, and all of her friends didn't know how to react or talk to Nesta. Armen went back to her crossword after she was done inspecting the ring. Elain was sweet, but she was upset, she moved over to assist Azriel and Cassian with the burgers. And so Nesta got up from her chair. She didn't look at anyone as she left the kitchen and went up the stairs to Elain's room to sleep.

She took off her dress and replaced it with a night set. She washed her face and her teeth in the bathroom and ignored the height marks on the door frame as she went to bed. Nesta was under the covers by the time Feyre came into Elain's room. Nesta's back was to her. 

"Nesta," Feyre's voice was steeled cold. Nesta didn't turn. "Nesta," Feyre comes over to the bed. "Your not asleep." Feyre sits down on the mattress, but Nesta doesn't stir. "I don't understand what we, especially Elain, did to make you break contact with us. I would like to know what we did to hurt you to the point that you want nothing from us." Feyre's voice softens as she goes on. Nesta bites her lip, trying her hardest not hold on the whimpers. 

Feyre shifted on the bed. Her hand lands on Nesta's calf. "I understand that you want nothing from me. But to do this to Elain. To push her out of your life, not telling her that you are marrying again. I don't understand where this cruelty is coming from." 

Nesta could taste the copper of her blood, can feel the tears well up. "I would think that after the life we have shared. The pain we had to endure that you would keep mom's wish for us. To get over our petty fights and love one another as if it will be our last. Nesta, as much as I wish that you were not divorcing Cassian, I will always stand by with your choices. I was young when we fought, angry and confused that you left us with only a note. I was hurt. But I always thought that you would reach out to us so I could apologize. And here you are with a hidden engagement," Feyre's voice broke. Nesta could feel her warm tears fall from her eyes. Could feel the path of them reaching her jaw and dropping on to the bed. She bites down her sobs. 

It was quiet for a while. Two broken sisters sitting in Elain's magical garden. "I told," Feyre whispers as if not to break the silence, "Elain, that she can't have this many plants in her room." Feyre sighs. Her hand on Nesta's calf begins to pat it over Elain's quilt. Nesta was stiff as aboard. 

"Nesta, I would never..." Feyre stops to take a deep breath. "Nes, I love you, but you can be so heartless sometimes. I don't know why you had to abandon us. I don't know where any of this is coming from." 

Feyre takes her hand from Nesta's calf. Nesta could feel Feyre's eyes burn holes in the back of her head. Could feel the hurt radiate off of her like heat. Could hear Feyre's tears as they rolled down freckled paint-stained cheeks. But Nesta didn't stir. Her breaths were shallow, and her eyes bloodshot from her own tears. 

"Nesta, I would hope you will reconsider your guest list and invite Elain," Feyre finally says before standing up and walking out of Elain's room. 

Nesta sat up from the bed after the door closed and looked out the window. She could see Cassian and Rhys stand by Elain's garden, talking in hush tones. Nesta could guess what they were talking about. Nesta's cruelty. She laid back down on her back and stared at the ceiling trying to will her self back to sleep. 

_________________

Nesta awoke to Elain's arm sprawled over her face. Nesta got up and began to look through Elain's closet for running gear. Once suited up in a pair of active leggings in lilac, a sports bra one size too big and a giant hoddie with her old high school's name on it, she hit the road. 

She was once a track team member. Her father thought it was the best thing for his daughters to cope with the loss of their mother to join sports teams. Nesta running, Elain swimming and Feyre with kickboxing. Nesta found that the burning that came from her muscles, her lungs and the fact that there was no need to purchase a membership when you had a pavement to follow made running her favourite activity. She ran throughout the end of middle school through high school and into university. 

Nesta woke up before the sun today and ran down the road toward town. She knew this path like the back of her hand. She ran it so many times in her life. 

She pushed herself only to a limit that would make her muscles sing just a little before running down Main Street and turning back towards home. She past Vin's General Store to see Isaac get out of his truck to open up for the day. She past Suriel's law practice and the post office. She past the only cafe in town before she stopped at the lights. She saw Cassian's truck roll up at the same time she stopped to catch her breath. Saw him as he crawled up and stoped. Watched him as his eyes met hers. 

"Cassian," she says breathlessly. She walks up and knocks on his passenger window. Cassian rolls it down. "Call the house line when you get back into town. I understand that your hurt, but we need to get this done." 

Cassian's eyes burn with what Nesta could only interpret as rage. He rolls his window back up, and with that, he was out of town going towards the Steppes. 

Nesta ran back towards the house with the sunrise on her back. She watched the colours come back on the trees and the yellowing yards of neighbours. She doesn't think that it was odd for Cassian to be heading out of town on a workweek. She doesn't dwell on how he reacted yesterday to her announcement. She doesn't think about Feyre's comments in last night's darkness. She doesn't think about anything about calling Tomas and finally confessing that she was in town to see her family. She was not about to tell him about her horrible estranged husband. 

_________________

"Nesta, is everything alright?" Tomas's voice came from her cellphone in clipped static. Nesta put down her mug of coffee. 

"I am alright. I just wanted to let you know that I have extended my visit." She tells him, looking out to the backyard to Elain's frame as she moved from her vegetable patch.

"Not for too long, we need you here. We have a wedding that is coming up. Your not playing runaway bride?" Tomas's voice was a little over annoyed. 

"I am not running away. I have family in the area, and I decided to visit them." She hears Feyre walk into the kitchen already dressed in her overalls. Feyre grabs a cup from the cupboard. "My sisters live in Velaris," Nesta sighs. 

"Your sisters? I didn't know you had sisters? We didn't invite them to our wedding. Are you inviting them? If you are, we have to rearrange the entire seating chart. Nesta, you need to tell me about these things," Tomas sounded more and more annoyed by the second. He didn't even seem to care that he just learned that she had relatives that lived on the other side of the continent. 

"I was going to, four people should be easy enough to shift in there somewhere," Nesta sighs again, pulling her mug up to her lips to drink the dark liquid inside in hopes that the headache she had would null due to the caffeine intake. 

"And you still haven't emailed the wedding planners back. We have things to solidify. Nesta, baby, you need to take some of this seriously. When we wed, you will be hosting a lot of parties, and if you can't handle our wedding, how are you going to handle Yule party planning?" 

"Hire a party planner? Tom, I have to go. I promise I will get back to the wedding planners today. Love you," she says, rubbing a hard circle in her temple.

"Love you too, babe." And with that, Tomas ends the phone call, and Nesta bites her lip to hide her groan. 

She gets up with her mug still full of coffee. Feyre leaned against the kitchen cabinet, watching her with a wince, "he sounds... lovely."

"He's just high strung. He wants the wedding to be perfect, and he thinks I am not taking it seriously enough," she tells Feyre, moving over to sink to dump her coffee. 

Feyre hums. Nesta knew just from that that Feyre was not sold on her new life choices and partner that was not Cassian. "I don't have the invites in hand, but if you and Elian would like to come to my wedding, I can send you the invites. You and Elain both will have a plus one." It was a peace offering, and she only hoped that both sisters would decline. 

"Yeah, send me the information, and I look into it," Feyre says with a tight-lipped smile. Nesta nods and leaves the kitchen.


End file.
